[Ashes14]

Hi this is Ashes from Pennsylvania, recently me and my fiancé received a letter in the mail telling us that our landlord is exercising their right not to renew our lease and must vacate by the end of April. We've done nothing wrong, meanwhile our landlord has formed a double standard lease telling us we are not allowed pets but other tenents including the manager of the buidling has some form of a pet. We were denied a parking space supposedly because neither of us drive, so the manager of the buildings grand daughter uses the spot. One morning my fiancé woke up to our apartment freezing cold only to find that the manager/landlord whatever she would be known as had opened the door for a painter to paint it. The list of things goes on and on but those are some of the majors. What I'm wondering is, are they allowed to this?

[excon]

Hello Ashes:

Sure. Either party can end their relationship at the end of the lease.

There may have been things you could have done about those things when they happened, but that was then, and this is now.

excon

[Ashes14]

We did try to do things about the situations arose and all we received was attitude and slanderous remarks from the manager/landlord's husband whose the maintence man

[J_9]

we did try to do things about the situations arised and all we received was attitude and slanderous remarks from the manager/landlord's husband whose the maintence man

So, why would you want to stay? I'd start looking for a new place.

Yes, they are within their right not to renew a lease for any reason whatsoever.

[Ashes14]

We want to stay cause as it is we can't afford anywhere else, plus we have a 7 and 1/2 month old son to think about.

[twinkiedooter]

What are you going to do when you are evicted from your apartment? You need to start looking and moving as soon as possible as you are not going to be able to live where you presently live much longer. April is only a little more than 2 months away.

I am sure you will be able to find another place that is probably much nicer than where you live now. You don't need those other tenants and manager playing games with you.

[Fr_Chuck]

They have no legal obligation to renew your lease.
And they are free ( while it is not a good idea) to have or set different rules or lease contracts for varioius tennants, Although I will say this, in my apartment complex, dogs * well pets** are not allowed but I see people out walking their dogs most mornings, and it is obvious stray animals have been let loose over the years in the area. So you need to be looking for another apartment and be moved,

[ScottGem]

What do you think? That you can stay indefinitely in an apartment because you are a nice person? That's the function of a lease, to provide a rental of the premises for a specified period. When the time is up, either party can choose not to renew. You have no choice in the matter. So start looking for a new place. End of story.

[Ashes14]

We just found out the reason behind us not being able to renew lease its becauase in the managers eyes we are a liability for people to passing by. She said flat out it's a form of discrimination. Its because of who we are... now how fair is that?

[excon]

Hello again, ashes:

Not fair. But not illegal. It doesn't sound accurate either. If they wanted to discriminate, they wouldn't have rented to you in the first place.

excon

[ScottGem]

Who said this was fair? Sure its unfair that the landlord is kicking you out because they don't like you. But being unfair and illegal are very different things.

You say someone told you its " a form of discrimination". But its unclear who said that. And what does a "a liability for people to passing by" mean? Do you make the building undesirable? If so, how?

Unless you are in a protected class a discrimination charge is unlikley to work. And think about what happens if you force them to allow you to stay because of it! Do you really want to live where the landlord doesn't want you? Think how miserable they can make your life!

You claim that money is tight, but to pursue a discrimination charge willl mean hiring a lawyer. Better to put your money into finding a new place.

[Cvillecpm]

What "protected class" are you other than "do not drive"... that would be a protected class in CA MAYBE!!

[Ashes14]

Im not claiming about not being able to drive. I could really careless and by saying "liability" which is the word used by the woman who runs the building, its said that us standing outside gives the building a bad image. This all doesn't make sense to me that's all Im saying. She makes outrageous accusations and I want to know how she can get away with it.

[Fr_Chuck]

I am sure that there is some reason the landlord does not like them, Has there be constant complaints, have you tried to arrange a tennants association, are you normally late on the rent. Do you have a lot of complaints from other tennants against you, do you have a lot ofpeople coming and going from your apartment, during inspections are there more damages in yours ? Are they planing on updating the apartment and need to move you out to do extensive repairs.

Now for reasons that may protect you. Are you in a rent control apartment, Are you a minority that is not normally rented to in that complex,

[simoneaugie]

Everyone has stated the laws, the facts. The truth is that in spite of the landlord's legal ability to be a complete jerk, you feel singled out. You are being crapped on and it hurts.

Everything that happens to us is a gift. We usually don't see it as one at the time. My landlord told us to get out, that we were disgusting, blah, blah, blah. He told me that he wanted to raise the rent $150. A month and "knew" we wouldn't be able to pay it.

We moved. I cried and felt like I was bad, the landlord was bad, the government was bad. Moving was the best thing that could have happened to us. That was 10 years ago but the good stuff wasn't obvious for a long time. Now it's so clear.

Trust. Hang on to each other and learn 'new songs' to sing. There is a plan.

[Ashes14]

Supposedly there's been complaints but we know and talk to our neighbors and each one tells us they like us and were good neighbors. And to answer about constant people in and out the answer is no, we rarely have people over. We've never been late on rent there for a while we were a month ahead on it. There's no damage to the place, the only thing we have is nail holes to hang up pictures up but those are easily fixed. The given to us about why they won't renew is we make the building look bad because of the way we look when we stand outside, there's been claims of parties outside but the only people who come over is our 1 friend occasionally and our family members.

[excon]

Hello again, Ashes:

NONE of that matters. They have the right NOT to renew for any reason under the sun.

You don't have a case of discrimination. If they discriminated against you, you wouldn't be living there in the first place. They are allowed to discriminate against people because they make the building look bad when they stand outside.

excon

[Ashes14]

Im not asking if I have a case or not that's not the point I'm just trying to figure all this out.

[ScottGem]

First we can't help you figure it out if you don't give us information. If they are telling you that you "make the building look bad because of the way we look when we stand outside", without knowing what about you might make the building look bad we can't help. Even if we know, the only thing we can possibly do id co0mmiserate and try and make youy feel better about it. I doubt if we can offer any advice to reverse their decision.

[Ashes14]

To my understanding it is because we are possibly the youngest tenents. That by some stereotype of all "20somethings" do nothing but drink, do drugs and basically party. I personally understand how they can make and assumption like that. Yes I'm 25 but I don't even keep any alcohol in the house. I don't classify this as discrimination but how can someone automatically assume something when there's no evidence to base it on. The only parties that ever went on were our neighbors and they moved out sometime ago.